Norman O'Connor is a former Navy officer who is currently working as LSF agent. Having been the Advisor of Special Operations before, he was reassigned to Tactical Operations Department after the restructuring of the LSF. He is currently the Chief of Operations.

The early years and the family

Norman was born on the planet Los-Angeles, California in 792 A.S. His father Jack O'Connor was one of the officers of the LPI, and his mother Emilie Stewart was working for Ageira Technologies. Norman spent his entire childhood near the starport. When O'Connor was 14, his father started to teach him flying smaller craft, and after a couple years of practice Norman could fly the ship good enough to acquire pilot's license. At the age of 18 he decided to join the Liberty Navy.

The beginning of service

The Liberty Navy and the attempt of resignation

After several successful flights O'Connor was promoted and got officer rank. Norman participated in several operations as an officer, and then he decided to enter additional courses in order to apply for a position on a capital vessel of the Navy. At those training courses he met several people, who would become his friends later: Brian Scott and Kyle Cross. They all passed their final tests successfully and were accepted to serve onboard a Liberty Carrier, the Justice.

At first things went rather well. But then the new war with Rheinland began, and the vessel was sent to the frontline. It was among the first ships to fall a prey to Rheinlanders. Few people made it the escape pods. O'Connor got injured during the battle, but managed to get to the pod with the help of Kyle. After that Norman decided to try something different or even retiring and starting a normal life. Why? Perhaps he couldn't simply get over the loss of his friends who died during the battle, at least that may be the best explanation.

Norman was given a leave he wanted. He managed to rent a one-room apartment on planet Manhattan. At that time he was on the lowest ebb imagineable. Norman took up drinking, and the injury kept reminding of itself. Brian Scott found him in that state a month later. He could clearly see that Norman needed a change, so he talked Norman into sending an application to the Liberty Security Force. Brian himself applied as well. Both were accepted in the Second Division: O'Connor as a field operative and Scott as test-pilot and intelligence officer.

The LSF

Having joined the LSF, Norman O'Connor and Brian Scott started working together, but then they were assigned to different departments, so each of them had to work on his own. Their Navy training helped them a lot, since the flight and combat training programme meets almost all the LSF's requirements. Scott was later declared M.I.A. (his ship is presumed to have been vaporized in the Omicrons).

O'Connor participated in various operations since the beginning of his LSF service. The first operation was a deep reconnaissance raid led by Hansen, the agent of the Primary Division. Anna 'Cookie' Lee (who would join the LMC later) also participated. Unfortunately for O'Connor, the raid ended up with his Guardian's engines overheating. The ship's self destruction system was activated, and O'Connor returned from Munich to Liberty in the escape pod (transfered in the cargo hold of another ship).

Further operations were less dangerous and more successful, although many reports are now classified.

The Liberty Security Force, Primary division

Agent (DHS)

O'Connor applied for the Primary Division and got accepted as AiT. Maybe because of his skills and experience, maybe for some other reason. The first patrol was relatively easy (he has got used to such assignments, after all). However, that was only the beginning of the true LSF work.

During his second flight Norman got into some real trouble. He encountered a man who believed he was the Embassador of Slomon K'Hara. Although at first Norman considered him just another madman, he started doubting it when the "madman" led him to the Nomad Mindnode located in California. Attempt to destroy it on one's own would be a certain death for sure. But O'Connor wasn't alone. He managed to bring some reinforcements to California, and the final confrontation took place near the system's sun. O'Connor made it out alive, but since then he always had a pack of painkillers with him. Norman suffers from constant headaches which migh have been caused by the nomads' attempt to brainwash him. However, that contact could be just a catalyst, while the true reasons lie elsewhere. Maybe it's just the injury during his Navy days reminding of itself.

His job in the DHS involved mostly patroling. However, he also participated in several operations beyond Liberty's border. Most of them involved intelligence gathering and spreading propaganda.

Advisor (SOD)

After several months as agent of the DHS Norman got promoted and became an Advisor in the Special Operations Division. From that moment on his job also involved assistance in planning specific missions within Liberty's borders and abroad. At first he was a bit unsure whether he'd manage to cope with that work, but now he feels that he's taken the right place. He took a look at the plans left by Adrienne Perry, the former Advisor of Special Ops, and some of those plans can still be brought to life in the future.

Promotion also gave him access to the most deadly LSF developments, like the newest N29 ship cannons (codename: Iron Hammer) and personal weaponary. However, he found Enhanced Reality System to be the most useful thing he got. The ERS looks like simple sunglasses, but the functions go far beyond protecting the eyes and creating the image of an agent. These sunglasses have several convenient modes, including (but not limited to) ultraviolet and infrared vision, X-ray mode, audio/video-recording, zooming and scanning. A perfect tool for the agent.

After some time he decided to concentrate on operation planning instead of flying on his own. One of the operations arranged by him was "Barrera".
LSF strike team successfully captured a load of dangerous alien artifacts and a nomad power-cell in Magellan. The Halifax was tasked to deliver the cargo to Willard Research Station for further studying.

Nothing was meant to go wrong, but the Order operatives managed to find out where and when the cargo would be moved and arranged a trap for the convoy. They would've terminated the escorts and capture the transport, but the interference of additional LSF units based at San Diego Border Station saved the convoy. However, the nomad power-cell was lost during the attack. It's rumoured to have been destroyed and lost in the Barrera Passage, but the recovery teams couldn't find the remains of it.

Advisor (TacOps)

Following an internal restructure of the organization, the Tactical Operations Department (TacOps) was created after the merging of the Homeland Security and the Special Operations. Due to a change in the way the LSF operations were conducted, the former's role within the Liberty core systems became less active and thus the LSF restructured itself. TacOps' mission is to protect Liberty's citizens and interests against potential or current external and internal threats. This mission aimed to be accomplished through arrests, war duty, intelligence gathering, deep space reconnaissance, wet-works and undisclosed operations outside Liberty. To put is short, the LSF get the job done by any means necessary.

Despite the fact that the Special Operations Department was no more, O'Connor still kept his position of Advisor after his reassignment to TacOps.

Chief of Operations (The Directorate)

The sudden retirement of David Copperfield, the former Director of the Liberty Security Force and the change of the Directorate made. First Johny Leroy, his direct superior, was promoted to the position of the Chief of Operations, thus allowing Norman to take the position of the Secretary of TacOps. Then another change of the Directorate was made, and O'Connor became the LSF's Chief of Operations, overseeing the TacOps, the re-created Department of Homeland Security and most of the other LSF projects.

Known vessels (LSF and private)

Retirement

Eventually Norman O'Connor got reassigned to his old position of LSF Advisor somewhere around 820 A.S. during yet another restructuring. He retired from the Force shortly after, claiming that he grew tired of the pressure the job put on him. Rumor has it that he moved to Kusari, although the LSF have no further records on him.

Rumours

Being a person of some importance in the LSF now (after his promotion), Norman was surrounded by rumours. The LSF is quite a shady organisation by itself, so their top agents are "the shadows among shadows". Below is what you might have heard about Norman somewhere on Alert or Kodiak back in the day.

There were some speculations about Norman's fast acceptance into the Primary Division. Some people think that O'Connor has some benefactors in the Government of the Republic of Liberty, although he'll say that his unusually fast acceptance was just simple luck, should he be asked about that.

Few people know that O'Connor is addicted to sedatives. Even fewer people know how he got addicted. Sometimes O'Connor suffers from headaches, and he claims that even painkillers don't help much now.

Some people say that he has some ties in the criminal world, although no single proof has (yet) been found.

O'Connor seems to rely on his Enhanced Reality System too much, at least some agents say that he rarely goes anywhere without it. That's where the image of "an agent wearing sunglasses" comes from.

Traits of character

O'Connor used to be one of those who prefer peaceful solutions. Nethertheless, he understood that sometimes decisive measures must be taken. He was not the one to engage the enemy on sight. But if there was no diplomatic solution, he would not hesitate to for more agressive approach.
Despite that, he is usually fair-minded and has his own point of view about "military honor". Also, he tends to keep in touch with his old friends, but some of them are on the other side of the law. "Reaching the goal by any means necessary" is the rule he still tries to avoid, although sometimes he admits that it has its uses.